The brain is an organ very sensitive to head trauma, and an accident that causes it can cause damage with major sequelae, after a violent blow to the head various functions can be compromised: language, memory, vision, etc. Depending on the area of the brain receiving the impact, the result may be different.
Every brain lobe has its function. The frontal lobe is of great importance in functions such as function performance, mental flexibility, problem solving, but it is also responsible for many of the characteristics that define our own personality.
- Although it may seem strange.
- A priori.
- An accident can change our personality.
- The truth is that it can happen.
- Personality is a set of more or less stable characteristics that genetics influences.
- But also our own experiences.
- There are people who.
- After an accident.
- Experience significant variations in these characteristics.
- Explained by the damage that the accident itself caused.
This case is one of the best known in the field of neuropsychology, it all begins when Phineas has a work accident and from there he is no longer himself, in this unfortunate fact, a 1 meter long iron rod pierces his skull. Surprisingly, not only did he get out alive, but he didn’t lose consciousness.
This boy came to recover completely physically, but something changed in him, he has become unrecognizable to the people around you, people who knew him said he was a responsible man, but after the accident he became irregular, blasphemous, aggressive and impatient. social relations were severely damaged, as were their labor income.
As a result of these changes, he moved from one job to another until he ended up showing his injuries in the circus. The skull and bar are at the Harvard Medical University Museum. Through this case, we begin to consider the frontal lobe as the great manager of personality, emotions and social relationships.
Although the frontal lobe was previously considered a non-functional structure, with Gage’s case research on the functions of this area has been resumed, the frontal lobe is quite wide and performs many functions, for example, motor movements or word articulation (Broca area).
But the prefrontal cortex is the area that defines our personality, supports the character of the individual, the control of emotions, initiative and judgment, this is also important in the care process. The fundamental activity of this region of the brain is considered to be the coordination of thoughts and actions according to internal objectives.
The imposition function refers to the ability to differentiate between conflicting thoughts, to make judgments about good and evil, to predict the future consequences of current activities, it also manages work according to previously determined objectives, predicts results, creates expectations and participates in impulse control in social settings (inhibition of inappropriate behaviors).
Injuries affecting the prefrontal cortex can trigger drastic personality changes, both those caused by head trauma, or what happens in a traffic accident, as well as tissue damage during surgery, can cause these changes, depending on the affected area, personality changes can occur one way or another.
For example, apathy syndrome may occur, which involves
Disinhibition syndrome can also occur:
Psychiatrist and neurologist Egas Moniz was the first to use the lobotomy technique in 1935, consisting of a surgical session in one or more nerve roles of a cerebral lobe, in this case the connection between the prefrontal cortex and the rest of the brain for years has been used to treat depression and other psychiatric disorders.
Although Moniz said it was a successful procedure, it had devastating side effects. In addition to causing the death of 6% of patients, adverse changes in personality and social functioning have been reported in most patients. Despite somewhat questionable results, he was awarded a Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Walter Freeman popularized this practice in the United States. Using the “picahielo” technique, this tool was hammered into the tear duct to separate the frontal lobe from the rest of the brain. I used it as a treatment for any known psychological illness Today, this technique is considered barbaric in the history of psychiatry and, fortunately, was eradicated in 1967.